Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Wednesday termed as 'unjustified' the Election Commission's directive banning implementation of a scheme to provide rice at Rs 2 per kg to 40 lakh families and alleged that pressure from a major political party was responsible for the order.
Achuthanandan said he had already written to the EC, registering the government's protest against the directive, which allegedly came following pressure from a major party and deprived poor families of rice at Rs 2 per kg.
He told reporters here that the government's decision to extend the scheme to Above Poverty Line families was taken at the cabinet meeting on February 23 and an order was issued on Feb 25.
"There is no justification in arguing that the code of conduct for Assembly poll, which came into effect on March 1, is applicable to the cabinet decision," he said.
After poll schedules for five states were announced, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday announced in Parliament that girl students would be given free passes in trains, he said and wondered whether the code of conduct was not applicable for the Centre.
To a question on CPI-M delaying the decision on whether to field him again to lead the LDF in the polls, he said "I hope those concerned will come out with a clear stand on the matter."
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